When the media publicize missing person cases

Nicholas Simmons, 20, of Greece, left, warms himself on a steam grate with three men by the Federal Trade Commission, just blocks from the Capitol, during frigid temperatures in Washington D.C. on Jan. 4. Jacquelyn Martin / AP

Nicholas Simmons, 20, of Greece, left, warms himself on a steam grate with three men by the Federal Trade Commission, just blocks from the Capitol, during frigid temperatures in Washington D.C. on Jan. 4. Jacquelyn Martin / AP

Nicholas Simmons, 20, of Greece, left, warms himself on a steam grate with three men by the Federal Trade Commission, just blocks from the Capitol, during frigid temperatures in Washington D.C. on Jan. 4. Jacquelyn Martin / AP

Natalie DiBlasio, a reporter at USA Today, played a role in helping Nick Simmons' family reunite on Jan. 5. Simmons had been missing since Jan. 1. His mother saw a picture of him in the USA Today section of the Democrat and Chronicle alongside an article that DiBlasio had written about the cold weather. Twitter

Jacquelyn Martin, An AP photographer, took the photo of Nick Simmons in Washington D.C. that ran in the Jan. 5. edition of the Democrat and Chronicle. His mother saw the photo of Simmons, who had been missing since Jan. 1, and he was eventually found and reunited with his family. Twitter

Most of those cases never made headlines, and never will. But Simmons' did. Even two days before word of his unlikely reunion made worldwide news, his disappearance was reported by local media.

So what made him so special? Why was his disappearance newsworthy, when so many others aren't?

Publishing a story on a missing person is a public service that dates back decades, if not centuries. But missing person cases tend to only get media attention upon request by police. The request typically comes in the form of a press release describing the missing and a litany of dates.

News outlets generally defer to the judgment of police because the number of missing person cases (the vast majority of which are resolved within hours) suggest police are judicious in their requests, and they have extensive experience determining in which cases publicity could, perhaps, save a life.

Gauging the latter is critical because most people who suddenly vanish are not in any danger. As disheartening as it may be for loved ones of missing persons to hear, some people leave without wanting to be found.

Whereas missing children are almost always assumed to be victims of foul play, missing adults are generally presumed to be acting on their own free will, unless evidence exists to the contrary.

"I can get media attention on a missing young child right now," said Robert Lowery, senior executive director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. "But as people become older, it's more difficult to get interest.

"It's no criticism (of the police or media) but they sometimes think it's a behavioral issue," he continued. "And then there's the other issue we deal with: Desensitizing the public."

Capt. Patrick Phelan, of the Greece Police Department, which handled the Simmons case, said this week the department often refuses to take missing person reports on adults and does not routinely publicize them "unless we feel that something was out of the ordinary."

Nicholas A. Simmons was found after an AP photographer and USA Today photographer helped family and police find the missing 20-year-old.
David Andreatta and Todd Clausen

In the case of Simmons, though, the press release offered no reason why he might have been in danger. It simply stated when he was last seen, the make of the car he was driving and what he was last seen wearing.

The information was published in the Democrat and Chronicle and elsewhere.

Two days after the press release, Simmons was photographed in Washington, D.C., looking haggard and warming himself against a street steam grate. He told the photographer he was homeless and would only give her his first name.

That something about Simmons and the way he left were not quite right was obvious to police from the start and a major factor in their decision to publicize his disappearance.

Columnist & reporter:
David Andreatta is a news columnist and reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle known for his humorous and serious work. His reporting has earned national and state honors for depth and beat coverage. Outside the paragraph factory, David enjoys writing for and acting in the theatre and coaching youth hockey. He lives with his family in Fairport.